Erich Fromm’’s Critical Theory: Hope, Humanism, and the Future

Interest in Fromm is increasing: as a prominent Marxist, sociologist, psychoanalytic theorist, and public intellectual, the unique normative-humanist thrust of his writings provides a crucial critical reference point for those seeking to understand and transcend the societal pathologies of our age.

The essays in this volume retrieve, revive, and expand upon Fromm’s central insights and contributions. They offer a critical theory of culture, the self, psychology and society that goes beyond what is typical of the narrower concerns of the fragmented and isolated disciplines of today, demonstrating the pan-disciplinary potential of Fromm’s work. But this book does not simply reassert Fromm’s ideas and rehash his theories, but rather reconstructs them to bring them into meaningful dialogue with contemporary ideas and cultural, political and economic developments.

Providing new approaches to Fromm’s ideas and work brings them up-to-date with contemporary problems and debates in theory and society and helps us understand the challenges of our times.

Joan Braune is Lecturer in Philosophy at Gonzaga University, USA. She is author of Erich Fromm’s Revolutionary Hope: Prophetic Messianism as a Critical Theory of the Future (2014).

Kieran Durkin is Lecturer in Social and Political Theory at the University of York. He is author of TheRadical Humanism of Erich Fromm (2014) which was shortlisted for the Philip Abrams Memorial Award.